In the fifth inning of a tie game at Progressive Field, Cleveland starter Cliff Lee gave up back-to-back singles to Kevin Mench and Marco Scutaro to start the frame. With Lyle Overbay at the plate and a 1-0 count on the Jays first baseman, both Toronto runners broke with the pitch. Overbay shattered his bat and sent a liner to Cabrera, who made a diving catch near second base. He got to his feet, stepped on second to force out Mench, and tagged out Scutaro, who had rounded second base in his steal attempt.

The Indians would lose the game, 3-0, in ten innings. Cabrera’s feat was the first unassisted triple play for the Indians since Bill Wambsganss in the 1920 World Series. Cleveland is also credited with the first unassisted triple play in the modern era, achieved by Neal Ball in 1909 in a game between the Naps and Boston Red Sox.